


Training

by americanhoney913



Series: The Bull and the Huckleberry [3]
Category: Girl Meets World, Mythology
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-10-18
Updated: 2015-11-25
Packaged: 2018-04-26 22:18:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 8,234
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5022652
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/americanhoney913/pseuds/americanhoney913
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Maya has been training for this her whole life. Every night, in her dreams, she is trained by the greatest warriors that ever lived (and died). She has also been keeping her double life from her friends, but Lucas is slowly slipping past a barrier even Riley can't get through. </p><p>Updated every Saturday!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Child

_“Are you sure about this, Gaia?” Uranus asks, brushing strands of dark grey hair from his eyes. The woman standing next to him is holding a bundle in her arms, the thing wrapped in clouds from his own skies._

_“More than anything,” the Mother of Earth responds. She stands before a crowd of people, all in clothes of different era and in varying degrees of scruffiness. “My kin, I have gathered you all today because we need a champion. Someone who will fight for us against the coming danger.”_

_“We have had many!” a man with windswept hair and sea green eyes calls from the crowd. “They all end up dying in the end.” He waves his three pronged trident in the air._

_“Even my own champions did not last long after their quest,” a lithe feline figure stands near the back of the hall, eyes glowing in the dim light._

_“Champions are dying every day, Gaia.” A dark haired man with soulless eyes and a leather jacket steps forward. “The Fields of Elysium are full enough as it is.” He scoffs. “It’s not like my domain is ever expanding or anything. The world is so full of death today I can hardly lend my wife space to plant her garden.”_

_“Gaia, why do we need this champion?” A soft voice asks as a woman with a teenage girl’s body and silver hair steps forward. “We all have those. Why will this one be any different?”_

_“Because those children were only born to one of you,” Mother Earth responds. “Only one godly parent and another mortal.” She sets down the bundle on a table in front of the crowd so they all can see the shape of a baby covered in clouds and swirling earth. “This one…” she sighs, “this one will be from all of you.”_

_“What will be his quest?” yet another voice asks._

_“He, or she, will save humanity when everything begins to crumble.” She turns to look at Uranus sadly before turning back toward her fellow immortal. “Each one of you will give the child a gift. Step forward and bequeath the child with whatever you think they will need to save humanity and us.”_

_One by one, the gods come forward and give their gifts. Once all have stepped forth, even those from neighboring religions Gaia and Uranus blow breath into the baby’s lungs. It cries out and opens its eyes, revealing the blue of the sky in one eye and the green of the earth in the other. It blinks, and the green is gone, both eyes are blue again._

_“We must hide the child somewhere safe,” Gaia says as she hands the child, a girl, the Persephone to give to a mortal. “Give her to a woman who cannot bare children. Let her have the most human life possible. She will know when it is her time.”_

_“What shall be her name?” asks Hera, the only woman not to give her gift._

_“Her name mean ‘the power by which the universe became manifest,” Gaia smiles at the baby and presses a kiss to her forehead. “May she find her way in the world, for it is not always easy.”_

_Uranus steps up behind her and a breeze blows through the baby’s blond hair._

_“For it is not our world now, but hers.”_


	2. The Gift and Curse

_Maya was a gift from the gods. She didn’t know it, but the powers of the universe ran through her._

_Her eyes held the stars of Nyx and her hair was the color of Helios’ golden sunlight._

_Through her veins ran the lightning bolts of Zeus._

_From the Egyptian goddess Bastet she gained the cunning and agility of a lioness._

_The Norse god Loki gave her the prankster’s heart and Ares gave her the courage to fight to the death._

_Poseidon gave her the playfulness of the ocean and, on the side, a small pegasus named Blackjack._

_Apollo gave her the fingers of a painter and Artemis the loyalty of a wolf._

_Demeter gave her the gift of flowers, so that she may always smell like the summer._

_Persephone gave her the kindness to know the truth and be brave in the face of death._

_Hermes gave her the ability to always find her way back home._

_Athena gave her the wisdom, strategy, and sharp wit of an owl._

_She was given the gift of beauty and the ability to accept all from Aphrodite, even though she was also given the ability to discern a friend from an enemy._

_The last to give a gift was Hades, but he did not give his gift in the form of a hair or the press of lips to the baby’s forehead. No, Hades had to be the cool uncle and give the child a blanket. Each strand of the blanket was made of a different anima and, when put on, the user only had to think of an animal and they would become that animal._

_Maya was a gift from the gods, but there was one more gift given that night by an unexpected guest. He was a tall man who looked like he had held the weight of the world on his shoulders. For a moment, when he had found the strength, he was able to project his mind into the room full of gods and smile. Before Gaia could send the baby off, he snuck through the shadows and pressed a knobby finger to the child’s forehead._

_“May the weight of the world always be on your shoulders.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, Atlas is an asshole. He'll come in later. But first, Maya needs to balance training with being in high school. But how can she explain the bruises and cuts to Riley and an overprotective Lucas.


	3. Boy Meets Tattoos

_Growing up in an orphanage hadn’t given Maya much of a family. Hadn’t given her much of a fighting chance. Sure, she had just met Riley the day before and they had become fast friends, along with a boy named Farkle, but that didn’t change her thoughts on life. She wasn’t going anywhere. A family who gave her up versus the perfect life her new friends had. Farkle had money behind him and Riley had a herd of Matthews. Maya Hart had no one._

_When she was five, she had started having dreams. When she had first gotten to the glowing city, she had met a man who introduced himself as Shawn Hunter. Maya, even at five years old, was smart enough to know that his name wasn’t really Shawn, but she went along with it. He introduced a short blonde woman with a warm smile and the smell of spring. He called her Katy, but again, that wasn’t her name._

_But she went along with it and learned that she was perhaps the most special girl in the world. They told her she was going to move mountains and save gods one day. She didn’t believe a word they said, but these two adults became her family over time._

_When Maya was ten, she started training with the masters of Elysium. Hercules taught her to be strong and brave. He’s the main cause of many of the silver scars scattered across her body along with Atalanta, who was always up for a wrestling match to test Maya’s strength. Orion taught her how to wield a bow and to stand as strong as an oak tree. Theseus taught her to problem solve and to look at the world from different angles. Andromeda and Perseus taught Maya ancient languages. Her mentors were more like her family than any foster family she’s ever been with. She hasn’t even told her friends about her nighttime training, even when they ask about the scars that just appear on her body overnight._

_But she can’t tell them. It would ruin everything she’s worked for to protect them._

_*****_

_It’s right there in front of her, just nibbling on the pieces of cheese she had set out not five minutes ago. Elysium animals are too trusting for her liking, and maybe a bit too fat. She can hear it rustling around on the ground, searching for more scraps, with each flick of her ear._

_‘Come on, Maya,’ she thinks, ‘you can do this. You’ve never failed before.’ But this time is different. This time, her mentors are watching. It is the last of many tests she must pass in order to move on from her training._

_The mouse’s ears twitch and it looks up, sniffing the air. She pounces just as it looks away, quickly snapping its neck with a loud yowl. ‘I did it!’ she thinks, chest puffed out proudly. She swaggers over to her mentors and drops the mouse at Persephone’s feet. The mouse, even though it has been killed not even two minutes before, lets out an outraged squeak as it jumps up and runs off. Nothing can stay dead for long in the House of Hades._

_“Well done, my protégé,” the woman smiles, running her hands over Maya’s fur. There’s a slight shimmer in the warm air around the lean feline before it transforms into a beautiful young woman who has seen seventeen summers. She shakes off the Cloak of Many Animals and it falls to the floor, which she picks up and folds down until it is the size of her pocket. Her long white dress trails behind her like fog and her hair, casually braided in the regina style of the day. Golden armbands are clasped around her upper arms and a circlet is placed atop the young woman’s head. “Your mentors have taught you well.”_

_“Thank you, Mistress,” the blond, Maya, bows her head toward her mother figure. “Will I be able to perform the ceremony with you now?”_

_“Not yet, my daughter, for you have yet to get your markings.” She gestures to the lack of ink across Maya’s skin. The only place that is visibly marked is the space right above her heart, where a crow is clutching a pomegranate in its talons. Another is the brand of a small sun on her right wrist, which all of her friends gave her grief for all the time. “But, fear not young one. The time for training is over."_

_Maya’s white dress, although still as regal as it was when she put it on, is covered in dust and there are small red dots scattered along the bottom hem. Maya herself is glowing with accomplishment amidst the many cuts on her arms and the burn crawling down the back of her neck. It will hurt like a bitch when she wake up, but the ambrosia Hercules gave her before completing her last hunt as an apprentice to the heroes had made the pain go away. “Thank the gods for that. I don’t know if I could take another day with any one of the guys.” The heroes are still within hearing range and they all begin to protest while the women look on with smiles on their faces._

_“We shall have a feast fit for the dead in your honor,” Persephone chuckles at her own small joke. “And then you will begin the process of marking your skin.” Maya beams and follows her mother figure toward the Palace of Hades._

_*****_

Maya wakes up with aches and pains all over her body. Her spine feels like she just got scratched by a thousand of Baset’s cat guardians. She is scared to put anything over them, cloth or otherwise, but the ink master had instructed her that they will heal within a day if she puts the ambrosia cream on them. She knows each of the markings are those of the gods that gave her gifts she doesn’t know how to use yet.

Maya groans and rolls over, wincing as her spine twists the wrong way. Maybe, if she stays in bed long enough, she won’t have to go to school.

“Maya, get up!” Riley Matthews, her sister in everything but blood, rushes into the room. She jumps onto the bed with a huge smile on her face. “Today is the first day of the last month of senior year! Only one more month with my dad teaching us!”

The leggy brunette had really grown into her figure, her brain finally working with her legs to move instead of just the baby giraffe she was in middle school. Farkle and Riley were at least the same height, Lucas towering over them by at least half a head. Maya had to crane her neck to look at the giant skyscraper that is her Texan friend.

“Riley, can I just not go to school today?” Maya moans from behind her pillow. “My whole body aches.”

“Mysterious scars again?” Riley settles down beside the blonde on the bed, eyebrows furrowed in worry. She remembers when her parents finally adopted Maya, for real, and the girls would wake up to go to school. Maya would have small silver scars and the beginnings of scabs all over her body and even her mother couldn’t figure out where they were coming from. Maya refused to tell them.

“Not exactly, but don’t you worry. They’ll heal over in a day or so.” She shoves Riley off of her bed and slides out of the covers. “Now get outta my room so I can change.” The brunette scampers off to change into her own clothes. Maya pulls off her clothes and sighs, turning to face her back to the mirror, eyes wide when she sees the finished product of her marking ceremony. She had passed out from the pain and woken up sore and back aching.

The symbol of each of the main gods, following the solar system and including the sun and moon, trails down her spine, Gaia’s tree is at the knot of her spine against her neck. Maya’s name in Latin letters across her ribcage from when she was initiated into her training. And for her chosen tattoo anywhere on her body, she chose a piece of rope wrapping around her upper thigh, _Hoc non pereo habebo fortior_ , written inside the rope. Hopefully, no one will ever see that tattoo any time soon, least of all the boy that inspired it.

“Ready?” Riley calls from the other side of the door. Making sure her sketch pad and ambrosia cream are in her bag, she meets Riley in the hallway and the girls are off to school with a wave to Topanga and Auggie.

*******

After school, Maya finds herself sitting on the bleachers waiting for Lucas’ baseball practice to finish. She’s been sitting in front of a canvas for the past hour. Trying to remember the exact color of Persephone’s hair or the getting the depths of Hades’ eyes just right. Once the colors started blurring, she’d put her supplies away and made her way out to the field.

She tries not to remember how many times she’s sketched Lucas. How many times she’s sat here and put pencil to paper and drawn his form while he plays basketball. The way his muscles bunch before he throws the ball. How his hair is ruffled when he removes his hat to scratch his head, a tick he has when he’s planning the perfect throw.

“Hey,” a voice breaks her out of her musing and she quickly shuts her notebook as her muse comes to sit beside her. “You’ve been really jumpy today.”

“Just had a bad night, that’s all.”

“What happened?”

“Dreams.” Maya shifts, pulling her hair up to braid it and Lucas grabs her hand.

“Maya, what’s that on your neck?” His warm hand moves across her skin and she shudders as it passes over the tattoo of Gaia’s tree. Lucas gasps as he sees the ink, a soft black that looks like the edges of the sky during twilight. Well, it actually was that color because Nyx donated it for the ceremony.

“I, um, I got a tattoo. It’s the, uh, tree of life?” It comes out as more of a question and Lucas shakes his head.

“Maya, why don’t you tell us anything. About your weird dreams that give you scars.” _They’re not that bad._ “The new tattoos that seem to have appeared overnight.” _They did_. “And why you keep turning up to school with bruises that just randomly appear.” _She does._

“Because I can’t!” She stands up quickly, jarring her healing skin and wincing. Turning away from Lucas, she gathers her bag and stomps down the bleachers until she reaches the field. “Now come on, Huckleberry. You’ve got to drive me to the show ‘cause I have to be there to set up and get the finishing touches in before people get there.”

“Maya, I just want to understand.” He’s right there behind her. Maya can feel his breath on the back of her neck and she shivers. “I want to help.”

“Lucas, this isn’t something you can fix,” the blonde growls at him as she gets into his truck. They’re supposed to meet Riley, Zay, and Farkle at the Matthews; from there the group are going to the showing of the senior art projects. At the midpoint through senior year, John Adams High School is all about showing off its students to potential colleges. Maya is hoping to get a great scholarship to the art program at Cornell University.

“Maya—”

“Just drive, Huckleberry.” Maya’s voice gives no room for argument as she turns from Lucas. She pulls a nice dress out of her bag and begins to pull up her shirt.

“Maya, what the fuck?”

“It’s not anything you haven’t seen before.” After working with her mentors, she’s becomes extremely comfortable with her body. Having been to the Elysium bath houses with all types of creatures from the different Realms and religions, she no longer cares who sees her body. Well, Lucas hasn’t seen _her_ body, but he’s definitely seen a woman naked because he told her the first time he had sex at that one party she hosted.

So, as Lucas quickly looks away with a heavy swallow, trying to keep his eyes on the road and not on the smooth skin of Maya’s back, she strips off her ratty old painting shirt. The Texan almost pulls the car over when he sees the tattoos stamped down Maya’s spine.

“You didn’t just get one tattoo, did you?” he asks, reaching over to brush his finger against the moon symbol for Nyx and Artemis. Maya gasps softly and goosebumps rise on her skin.

“Eyes on the road, Ranger Rick.” She knocks his hands away and pulls on the dress shirt she brought with her. She quckly slides out of her pants, wriggling in the seat as she tries to slip it over her legs. She notices, out of the corner of her eye, Lucas’ Adams apple bobbing as he tries to look away. The man pulls into a spot in the parking lot of the gallery and turns to her. Maya is just wiggling into the red asymmetrical skirt when he points to the tattoo on her leg.

“Maya, is that—?”

“Drop it, Cowboy” Maya snarls at him as she slams the door behind him and shuffles the rest of the way into her skirt. She knows he saw her lasso tattoo, but she doesn’t give a damn. She doesn’t know if she’s angry at him because he’s being annoying, or if it’s just because of the residual pain. She walks over to him as he gets out of the car. Reaching up, Maya lays her hand against his cheek, startling him with the softness of her steel-blue eyes. “Look, Lucas, if I’m going to tell anyone about this first, I promise it will be you.”

“What about Riley? Or Farkle?”

“This isn’t something Riles would understand. And Farkle would just try to overanalyze me.” Brushing a stray strand of hair out of the Texan’s eyes, Maya sighs. “You’re the only one who won’t judge me or go off on a tangent about my safety.”

“Is someone hurting you?” His eyes harden and becomes the Texas Lucas they don’t see often anymore. And she likes it.

“Not anything I didn’t deserve,” is the only offhanded comment he receives and Maya thinks back to the seventeen years of training she’s had to endure to get her marks, but all of the things she has learned in her time in the House of Hades.

“What does that mean?” Lucas asks, shooting her a worried look to replace the enraged look from seconds ago.

“Lucas, please just trust me.”

His eyes are soft as he grabs her hand, giving it a squeeze. “I do”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hoc non pereo habebo fortior = What does not kill you makes you stronger


	4. Happy Birthday, Cowboy!

_Maya stands in front of a stall that houses a black stallion with a star on its snout. “You just had to show off, didn’t you?”_

_“_ Bucephalus was taunting me. I had to show him I was better, _” a high voice, that kind of reminded Maya of a mix between Farkle and Riley, whines in her head. The horse waves his head from side to side, feathers ruffled._

_“That doesn’t mean you have to take off midstride!” Maya throws her hands up in the air. “I wasn’t ready and I almost died!”_

_“_ You humans are so breakable, _” the horse scoffs in her mind._

_“Blackjack, if you ever do that again,” she threatens, “you won’t get ambrosia covered oats for a week.”_

_“_ You’re no fun, _” Blackjack huffs, tail swishing._

_“Yeah, and I’m even worse when I’m dead.”_

_“_ But then you’d be here all the time and we could go flying! _”_

_“I’m needed in Gaia’s Domain.” She sighs and runs her palm along his soft downy feathers. “I wish you could come with me.”_

_“_ Me too, _” Blackjack rests his chin on her shoulder, hot breath against the open back of her long hunter dress. She decides, then and there, that she’s going to get in a little more practice before she wakes up._

_“You wanna go one more time?” Maya asks as she opens the stall door, allowing the horse to exit. “You can drive.”_

_“_ Yes! _” If Blackjack was human, he definitely would have been throwing a fist in the air, but he just whinnies and allows Maya to climb on his back._

_“Maya,” a stern voice calls from the rear of the stable. A tall muscular man with tan skin and dark hair stands with his hands on his hips. Behind him stands an enormous black stallion decked out in full armor. “Where are you going?”_

_“Just getting one more ride in,” Maya says as she urges Blackjack to walk out into the ring._

_The man follows, stern look still on his face. “Maya, the sun will be setting in an hour and you will need to wake up. You do have a big day tomorrow.”_

_“It’s Huckleberry’s 18 th birthday.” She shrugs. “Might as well get practice in before he drags us off to that horse stable he’s been raving about. Calm down, Alex.”_

_“We’re coming with you,” Alexander says, his tone giving no room for Maya to argue. “And you can’t fly out of the skylight like you did last week.”_

_“Oh, but because you’re so high and mighty, you can do anything.” Maya puts one hand on her hip, which is awkward when she’s clinging with the horse’s mane with the other. ‘I saw you riding Starlight the other day. I can’t believe Andromeda didn’t rip your head off.”_

_Alexander laughs, a loud hearty chuckle that rubles across Maya’s ears. “She did. That’s why I wasn’t at dinner.”_

_He leads a tall dune colored stallion into the coral, hopping onto his back. "Maybe one day, you will beat Alexander the Great in a horse race"._

_"Maybe that day is today!" Maya shouts as she kicks her heels into Blackjack's side, whooping as he takes off into the setting sun._

******

“Riley, you don’t have to ride if you don’t feel comfortable,” Lucas stands next to the leggy brunette. The tall girl still only reaches his nose at her full height, but she’s still half a head taller than Maya. The blonde is standing next to Riley with her arms crossed. “We can just walk around.”

“No,” the brunette shakes her head. “I’m not going to let some,” she swallows, “giant beast get the best of me.” She stands tall, the docile mare in the stall staring at her with bored eyes, and says, “I am Riley Matthews, senior class president. I will not be brought down by you.” The pony snorts, causing Riley to yelp and jump behind Maya, which doesn’t help.

“Riley,” Farkle, who had been standing against the wall, comes over to stand beside the shaking girl. “Lucas says that this is the calmest mare they have. You and Maya are both getting them.” He takes the brunette by the hand and leads her into the stall to put tack on the horse, leaving Lucas and Maya lingering.

“What?” Maya spins around to smack Lucas’ shoulder. “Why the hell am I getting a soft horse?” She pokes his chest. “I’m not some damsel to coddle, Huckleberry.”

“Because you’ve never ridden before,” Lucas answers.

“What about Farkle?”

“He’s been here with me a few times.” The Texan shrugs. “Even has his own horse.”

“Okay… but I’m not riding a horse like Riley’s.” She turns to view the rest of the stable, trying to find a horse more to her liking.

“Come on!” a voice shouts at the other end in a distinctly New Jersey accent. “Just let me—” There’s a cry of pain and a thud, followed by silence. A loud whinny that Maya is all to familiar with echoes through the stable.

Riley is screaming at the blonde beauty to stop, to not run down the hall toward the noise instead of away from it. Lucas chases after the headstrong artist, shouting her name while Farkle holds Riley back from chasing after them.

“Maya, what are you—” The Texan shouts, scared to step into the open pen and find Maya on the floor. But instead he finds a tall black stallion sprinting from one side of the coral to the other. The blonde is standing in the middle of the space, looking casual with her hands on her hips. As if she is judging the horse. “Maya, just come back. Step away from the horse.” He’s got his arms out, waiting for her to jump into them so that he can pull her away from the danger. But she just turns and glares at him before taking a step away from him and toward the skittish horse.

Lucas’ heart is in his throat. He knows Maya’s never ridden a horse, never been around one even, but she looks like a natural. With her hair pulled back into a beautiful high ponytail, her jean jacket tied around her waist, and cowboy boots, the only thing missing from her cowgirl ensemble is the cowboy hat she refused to wear.

Maya, on the other hand, has her heart in her throat for a totally different reason. Running around on the other side of the corral is Blackjack. She wants to reach out and touch him, but she can understand why he’s freaking out. The stallion has become a regular horse, stuck on the ground like the rest of his brethren.

‘ _Blackjack!_ ’ she screams with her mind, trying to project as she can.

‘ _Maya?_ ’ As Lucas watches, the stallion jolts and comes to a standstill as far from Maya as he can get within running from the room. ‘ _These humans are crazy! They tried to put stuff on me and ride me around like a show pony!_ ’ He whinnies and tosses his mane, tail lashing from side to side. ‘ _And I can’t feel my wings!_ ’

“Maya, get out of there while he’s calm,” Lucas shouts, trying to get her out of the danger zone.

“Oh, hush, Huckleberry!” she shouts back as she takes a step toward the stallion. “Just… stay there. Actually, why don’t you go saddle up your own horse.” He shakes his head and shoots her a worried look before he leaves. But not before making her promise to meet him outside in one piece.

‘ _Blackjack, I know everything is scary right now,_ ’ Maya says to Blackjack via their telepathic connection and the horse tosses his head. ‘ _But you need to calm down so I can help you._ ’

‘ _Was that the guy?_ ’ Blackjack asks, stepping closer to her. ‘ _The one you never shut up about?_ ’

‘ _Blackjack, shut it._ ’ Maya growls. ‘ _I could just leave you here._ ’

            ‘ _I’m sorry._ ’ He rests his large head against her chest, huffing into her shirt.

‘ _It’s okay, BJ._ ’ Maya smiles at him, lifting his head to huff against his nose. ‘ _Come on, I wanna show Huckleberry that this New York City chick isn’t to be messed with._ ’

‘ _Anything to show off!_ ’ Blackjack prances, throwing his head from side to side. ‘ _Can we fly?_ ’

‘ _No. They’d freak out if you suddenly grew wings and took me up in the air._ ’

*****

Lucas watches, wide eyed, as Maya comes out on the black stallion, fingers twisted into his mane and no saddle or bridle in sight. “Are you a horse whisperer or something?” he asks, voice full of awe. Riley and Farkle are behind him, on the same horse because Riley refused to get on by herself. The brunette is hugging the genius around the waist, biting her lip with a look of terror in her eyes.

“Or something,” she responds with a smirk, kicking her heels into the animal’s side and racing away from him with perfect form, as if she is one with the horse. The dust his horse leaves behind as he follows her making the other two cough.

*****

‘ _Are you sure we can’t go up?_ ’ Blackjack asks as he slows down slightly. ‘ _Running in a straight line is boring!_ ’

“Horses don’t fly!” Maya argues, sitting up straight now that they’re no longer cantering. “You can’t do that here, Blackjack.”

“Can’t do what?” Lucas’ voice comes from behind her as he leads the chestnut mare to where Maya has stopped her horse.

“Um, nothing,” the blonde says as she dismounts, moving to the front of her horse to pet his nose. The horse lips at her hand when she pulls out a carrot from her jacket.

“How were you able to do that?” he asks. “It was going crazy and you just stood there.” He dismounts and ties his horse to a nearby tree. “I didn’t know you knew so much about horses.”

Blackjack whinnies. “I’ve been training.” She shrugs as she presses her lips to the horse’s forehead. “Shhh. We can go out later,” she says in a whisper but Lucas, damn him, hears her.

“Maya…” His voice is demanding, but he doesn’t say what he wants.

“Huckleberry, this is part of the stuff I can’t tell you.” She stands in front of him, eyes filled with sincerity. “Not ready yet, but soon.” He nods.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So we are getting closer to Maya's reveal to Lucas! Also, Blackjack doesn't have wings in the mundane world but he does in Elysium. Please don't forget to comment or reveiw!


	5. Healing Wounds

_“How did you get that?” Persephone asks. Maya scratches her arm, where one of her cuts has become infected. “That wasn’t there yesterday.”_

_“Herc thought it would be a great idea to swordfight yesterday.” The blonde rolls her eyes._

_“I still don’t understand, Apprentice,” the blonde woman says with a small smile as she leans down to continue tending to the garden. Today, Maya is training with her, learning all about different plants and how they can help when you don’t have modern medicine around. “Name the uses of this one.” She holds up a tall, bristly-stemmed plant, referred to with fleshy stalks._

_“Horsetail.” Maya answers. “Treats infections and stops bleeding.” She runs her finger around the wound. “He decided I was ready to use swords with poison tips.”_

_“I told him that was a bad idea!” Persephone gets to her feet, herbs clutched tightly in her hand. She whistles and a large creatures comes bounding over. One head licks at the each of the woman’s hands, one sniffing around near her pockets for treats. “Cerberus, please tell Hades that Hercules is_ not _invited to dinner.” He barks loudly, licks the big treats in all of his mouths, and disappears again._

_“Aright, now that that’s taken care of,” Persephone stands up and wipes her hands on her dark dress. “Back to Herbology 101.” She points to a small bush flowers resembling daisies small soft leaves. Picking one, Maya brings it up to her nose and sniffs it. The smell a sharp tangy one instead of the flowery smell she was expecting. “What are the uses?”_

_“It reduces body temperature for those with fever or chills. Also heals aches and pains.” Maya chuckles. “Especially good for headaches.”_

_“You’re really getting the hang of this!” Persephone claps her hands. “You’re almost ready for your test.”_

_“A test? Really, Mistress,” Maya crosses her arms. “You know how bad I am at those! I got a D on my math test the other day.” She throws her hands up in the air. “And that was with Lucas helping me study.”_

_“Well, this will be a practical test.” Persephone steps forward. “It’s also not something I can give you. You’ll be tested in the real world, but you won’t be expecting it.”_

_“How will I know I pass?”_

_“A new tattoo will appear somewhere on your person.”_

_“Awesome!”_

_“Come, Apprentice, dinner is being served in the Hall of the Dead.”_

_“Fine, but I’m coming back here after to study for my ‘test’.”_

******

“Well fuck,” Maya hisses as she hears Riley’s cry from the bottom of the hill. When Farkle had proposed a hiking trip, it had sounded like a good idea. Yes, the genius said, it wasn’t going to rain because a six day storm had just passed. No, the forest had probably already dried. Now, as she’s staring down the hill littered with branches and tree roots and a trail of Riley’s ripped shirt, Maya has a sickening feeling that _this_ is the test Persephone was talking about.

“Maya… Farkle…” Lucas, who had slid down the hill after Riley, calls back to them. His voice, usually strong and steady, shakes now.

“Lucas, report!” Farkle screams down. Maya could see his hands shaking, as if he was about to jump down there himself.

“Guys, she’s hurt pretty bad.” His voice is loud but kind of squeaky. “I don’t think I can move her without hurting her even more.”

“Okay, Lucas,” Maya shouts down to him. ”Farkle and I are coming down. Just try to stay calm and keep Riles talking.”

“Maya, there’s so much blood.” The Texan sounds nauseous, even though she knows he’s helped birth a baby horse.

 When Farkle and Maya make it to where Lucas is clutching Riley to him, face pale and blood smeared on his shirt and pants. “Maya, what do we do?” he asks.

Riley had a huge scratch down her torso. Her shirt is in tatters and the first thing Maya does is take off her own shirt and cover Riley with it, using the old pieces of her shirt to bind the wound. The blood isn’t flowing fast, but Maya knows if she doesn’t treat it now, the wound could get infected. They can’t move Riley until she’s at least a little more stable. “Farkle, go see if you can find reception somewhere.” Maya knows that if he stays, the genius is only going to get in the way. He nods and rushes off, trying not to blush when he sees Maya in a sports bra, but the blonde could care less. “Lucas, stay here with Riley. Keep her talking.” Riley blinks hazy eyes, starting to ramble on about nothing in particular.

“Where are you going?” the blonde Texan asks, swallowing nervously.

“I’m going to find something to stop infection and even the fever that might start if we don’t get her out of the cold.” Maya runs off, watching as he takes off his jacket and wraps it around the brunette’s body, trying not to jostle her any more than he has to.

The blonde wants to scream and curse and cry because this is definitely not the test she’s been expecting. Now Riley is hurt just so she can be tested and it’s all her fault. “Fuck you, Persephone!” She stumbles and bumps against a tree, kicking the stump.

 “I need to find feverfew and horsetail. Maybe a little marigold.” She looks around, trying to find what she needs. If she can concentrate on finding the herbs, she won’t have to think about the huge cut on Riley’s stomach. She quickly finds horsetail and feverfew. A few feet away in the rock face is a small cave, where she finds a plethora of spider webs. A nearby stick is used to gather them up and, even though Riley hates spiders, she can’t really argue with Maya at the moment.

*****

“Here,” Maya holds out a handful of feverfew to Riley’s mouth. “Chew and swallow this.” Riley shakes her head, but eventually opens her mouth and chews slowly, making a face when she swallows. Maya checks her forehead and is relieved to feel no temperature. She hands the mixture of marigold and horsetail to Lucas. “Chew this and put it on the wound.”

Lucas looks disgusted, but when Maya pushes the leaves into his hands and takes a few for herself. She chews them, trying not to swallow any and spits it out into her hand. Lifting up the cloth covering Riley’s wound, she smears the goop onto it. Riley cries out when she touches the wound, but goes silent again. Lucas, after watching Maya, spreads his portion of the goop onto Riley’s stomach as well.

The blonde pulls out the stick of cobwebs and Riley squeaks, trying to struggle away from the strands. “Maya, please…” A weak hand tries to push Maya away, but the other girl is stubborn.

“Riley, these will soak up any blood. Just until the paramedics arrive or we can move you.” She brushes a stand of brown hair from her best friend’s eyes. “I promise, there are no spiders here.” She presses the silky sticky strands onto the wound, wrapping a new bandage over them to keep them stedy.

“Guys!” Farkle calls as he races down the hill. “I found a signal. Called 911 and Mr. Matthews.”

“Good job, Farkle,” she says as he comes to kneel next to Lucas, taking his place as Riley’s pillow. Maya can see how shaken up he is, how pale.

“How do you know all this stuff?” Lucas asks from where they are sitting at Riley’s feet. The blonde has ordered Farkle to keep an eye on the brunette’s breathing and tell her if there is any changes, but all they can do it wait.

“My dreams…” she starts, “they’re not just dreams, Lucas.”

“Maya—”

“Maya, her breathing!” Farkle cries and the blonde leaps up, quickly checking the wound quickly and replacing the spider webs which are blood red instead of white. “What’s happening?”

“She must have a punctured a lung or something,” Maya growls. ‘ _Help me!_ ’ She cries out to the night sky. Her whole body is shaking as she doesn’t know what to do anymore. ‘ _Asclepius, help me._ ’

‘ _My child, I am here,_ ’ an ethereal voice fills her head and a calming wave rushes over her. ‘ _How can I help?_ ’

‘ _Heal her!_ ’ Maya cries out silently. ‘ _Heal her, please!_ ’

‘ _I cannot.’_ The voice seems to sigh. ‘ _But you can._ ’

‘ _How?_ ’

‘ _You must forge a bond._ ’ A pause. ‘ _A bond between her soul and yours._ ’ There is a pause before the voice talks again. ‘ _It has been prophesized that the four will defeat the one. The Healer, the Warrior, the Maiden, and the Bard. They will finally bring heaven and earth together again. And Gaia and Uranus will be together again._ ’

‘ _If it makes a difference, you really shouldn’t try to be all high and mighty when you say silly things,_ ’ Maya chuckles before turning back to her friends.

“Oaky, everyone hold hands.” Before Lucas and Farkle can say anything, she grabs their hands. “Grab Riley’s hand.” The boys do as she says and she closes her eyes. “ _Conari solum possumus vincere simul_.  _Copulationem animas_ _simul_.  _Gloriosa nos protegat deos._ ” Over and over again she repeats the words in a language the boys don’t understand.

Suddenly, there’s a flash of light and the three conscious people are thrown back.  Lucas grabs Maya to him and gets slammed against a tree, grunting as he takes the brunt of the blow. Farkle curls up against Riley, protecting her as shards of bark go flying.

“Was this part of your dream?” Lucas asks, a small smirk on his face.

“Um, no.”

“Farkle…?” Riley’s voice is weak but, as Farkle helps her to sit up, she looks much stronger than she did before. “Ah! Spiders!” She’s clawing at the webs pressed against her wound, which has healed into a nasty looking scar under Maya’s shirt.

“Maya, what did you do?” Lucas, eyes wide, looks from the healing girl to where Maya is sitting his lap.

“It was all of us,” she whispers as she stands, going over to Riley and hugging the brunette. “I knew I couldn’t heal you on my own, so I asked the Gods for help,” she blinks back tears, “and they did.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Conari solum possumus vincere simul= We can only overcome together  
> Copulationem animas simul= Uniting their lives together  
> Gloriosa nos protegat deos= Glorious gods protect us
> 
> So, Lucas doesn't know the extent of her secret just yet but he's a little further past her walls. Next chapter, Lucas will be sleeping over at Maya's house, but he won't be doing any sleeping. :)


	6. The Healer

_“Maya, widen your stance,” the red haired woman orders. She is tall and intimidating and little seven year old Maya still hasn’t gotten used to training with her. Atalanta, the warrior maiden, stands above her, robes fluttering. “Again.”_

_“I’m tired,” the small blonde says, refusing to get up. She smiles up at her mentor. “Can we go ride horses now? Alexander told me he had a surprise for me.” Finally, she stands, only to begin jumping around in excitement. “Maybe he got me a horse.”_

_“Alright, little one,” the redhead laughs, blue eyes sparkling. “We will try again tomorrow.” She dusts off her dress and readjust the circlet of gold atop Maya’s head before sending the child on her way._

_“She really is tenacious, isn’t she?” a shadow moves out into the sun and forms the figure of a man with dark brown short hair and kind brown eyes. “Has she been doing well?”_

_“My Lord, I wasn’t expecting you at training today,” Atalanta comments as she gathers the small wooden swords and targets. “The others are still not pleased you haven’t asked them to help train the child.”_

_He scoffs. “I had nothing to do with your choosing.” Hades smirks. “That’s all Persephone’s doing.” The lord of the dead chuckles as Atalanta’s eyes go wide. “She chose those who would not only help the child grow up into the chosen one, but would actually care for them instead of using them for one’s own personal gain.” He shrugs. “I mean, if they had misused the trust my wife placed on them, they would have been dismissed from Elysium and sent to Tartarus.”_

_“Atalanta! Lord Hades!” Maya’s voice screams their names in a high pitched excited voice as she scrambles over the ground to them. “Alexander said Poseidon got me a horse!” Grabbing their hands in her slimmer ones, the dead smile at her. “And it has wings! Man, I wish Riley could see it.”_

_Hades chuckles and picks up her, resting the girl on his hip, and tickling her when she starts squealing in happiness. “Come on, Peaches, let’s go see your new horse.” Atalanta follows behind them, a small smile on her lips._

******

“Are you sure you want to do this?” the blonde beauty asks as she sits on her bed. Across from her is the Texas native, looking more than a little unsure about the fact that, for the first time, he in Maya’s room and is getting ready to follow her into her supposedly violent dreams.

After dropping Riley off at home, where they had to explain to the Matthews that it was just a scare and that the scar was there before they left, which it wasn’t. Topanga doesn’t believe them, but she allows Farkle to sleep in Riley’s room on the floor and the same for Lucas in Maya’s room. She can see all of the kids are shaken up, especially Farkle and Riley, so she allows it just this once.

Maya looks beautiful, like a goddess, as she sits there in her sheer Yankees jersey over a sports bra, curls piled on top of her head in a messy bun and her face free of makeup. All of her tattoos are visible and Lucas’s eyes widen at the lasso that twines around her thigh but he’s too scared to ask what it says.

Lucas is dressed in sweatpants with his old school logo and his shirt from before. He can see Maya is struggling to look at him because her eyes keep fliting from his eyes to his torso.

“Maya, I want to know you better.” He takes her hand, rubbing his thumb over her wrist. “And this is probably the biggest secret you have.” The boy chuckles. “Besides, who wouldn’t kill to get into that head of yours, Shortstack?” She growls at him, pushing him off of the bed.

Maya takes a shuddering breath before she looks down at Lucas, who is sprawled across the floor, limbs spread eagle and laughter pouring from his mouth. “Okay, so, just, um,” a pretty blush covers the blonde beauty’s cheeks, “get into the sleeping bag and grab my hand.” It’s awkward because he’s on the floor and she’s laying on her bed, but Maya tries to ignore the tingle trailing down her spine. “You have to fall asleep first, so I can pull you in with me.” He nods and curls up, pressing his cheek to her hand. She watches as he nods off, his mouth opening slightly to emit soft snores.

She smiles and closes her eyes, pulling the dream of Lucas standing in the garden of Elysium with her. With a sigh, she falls asleep.

*******

“Holy—” Lucas starts before Maya puts her hand over his mouth.

“If you say anything to insult the gods, especially Hades, he will kick your ass all the way to Tartarus.” She’s smiling at him, her eyes shining brighter than he’s ever them. “Anyway, welcome to Elysium. The Island for those considered heroes in the eyes of the gods.”

He looks around for a second before his eyes land on her. “Wow, Maya, you look…”

She’s wearing her usual training gear. A white wraparound dress, golden gladiator sandals, and the circlet to mark her as one of high status. “Thanks,” she says, blushing. “But you should see yourself.” She turns him around, showing him his reflection in the mirror pools of the garden. Usually, they show the seeker the mortal world and loved ones, but Maya realized years ago it doesn’t work on those that aren’t actually dead.

Lucas is dressed in the style of the gladiator, but a higher class one. His pants are made of soft cowhide and his arm band is golden and matches Maya’s. But the most surprising thing is…

“Hey, look! You’ve got a mark too!” She presses her palm to the black right over his heart. “It’s the rod of Asclepius.” Her eyes go wide. “You’re the healer he was talking about!”

“What?”

“There’s a prophecy about four heroes who bring the sky and earth back together again.” Maya smiles. “The Warrior, the Healer, the Maiden, and the Bard.” She gestures toward the tattoo on her wrist. Now there’s one on each wrist. The first is the brand for Riley, the sun. But on the other wrist, the dominant hand, is the sign of three black claw marks dragging across her skin. “I’m the Warrior. Have been since I was little. It kinda makes sense that you’re the Healer.”

“What about the other two?” Lucas is trying not to freak out. He’s also trying not to stare at Maya because she still looks like a goddess, even though he likes her better in her sleep clothes.

“I don’t know, but—”

“There you are!” a loud booming voice makes both teenagers jump. “You did not show up for training.” A imposing figure looms over the two before he startles.

“Calm down, big guy.” She pats the guy on his big muscular bicep. “Herc, Persephone let me take the day off.” She rolls her eyes at his childish pout. “Stop frowning, you big baby. I’ll be back tomorrow and we can train with those new swords Perseus made me make.”

“That sounds acceptable.” He turns dark eyes to the strange boy standing slightly behind Maya. “Now, will you introduce me to this intruder, or,” he pulls out his sword, “will I have to send him to the Fields of Asphodel.”

Lucas gulps and only calms down when Maya grabs his hand in a comforting gesture. “He’s the Healer. And my friend.” She pushes the sword aside. “So if you’d kindly direct us to the Isle of the Blessed.”

“What’s that?” Lucas asks, still starting at the big man in front of them.

“That’s where the Lord of the Dead resides, mortal,” Hercules answers. “And you would do well to find him before some of the other heroes find a way to kill you.” He turns around and heads out of the garden.

“Come on, Huckleberry,” Maya grins at him as she begins to pull the boy out of the garden. “Time to meet good ol’ mom and dad.”

Lucas goes pale behind her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I'm updating this now! I hope you guys like it! Next chapter Lucas actually meets her parental figures. :)

**Author's Note:**

> This was something I came up with because I've always been interested in mixing things with mythology. So this is what I came up with. Don't worry, Maya will not be a Mary Sue. Growing up human has given her many flaws and there's one big one that will be revealed in the next chapter. She does have the gifts from the gods but she also has so much that is weighing her down.
> 
> And yes, I did decide to make Hades into Shawn because I feel like, for this story, Persephone and Hades would be the cool godly parents!


End file.
